Keeping students safe is always a priority within the Santa Monica-Malibu School District, with the subject coming up once again at this Thursday’s Board of Education meeting.
Thursday’s meeting will see a vote to approve the Comprehensive School Safety Plan for each district school, as mandated by state legislation. Each school’s safety plan is part of the district’s Emergency Operations Plan.
Each safety plan includes roles and responsibilities of faculty and staff members during an emergency, emergency procedures, evacuation locations and school maps. The plans also describe strategies for "ensuring a safe and orderly school conducive to learning," including "describing what (campuses) do to ensure a safe physical environment and to snare a safe, respectful and orderly school community."
Thursday’s meeting will also read a resolution in support of Safe Schools Month, taking place throughout October. The resolution describes the district’s commitment to safety, including the holding of regular emergency drills and continued work with "a broad spectrum of community partners" to "take any threats of violence seriously" and implement policies "that foster and support a positive school climate."
An addendum to the resolution states that the district urges the State of California and United States Congress "to provide strong leadership" to prevent gun violence in schools and elsewhere in school communities.
Also up for discussion Thursday will be new data on student achievement.
The Board will receive information about the Early Development Instrument [EDI], Climate Survey Results, preliminary Attendance, preliminary Suspension and preliminary Expulsion Rates.
According to staff, Advanced Placement Assessment Data, Cohort Graduation Rates, Attendance, Dropout rates and College and Career Readiness information will be provided to the board once it becomes available.
The public may attend the meeting in-person at the District Administrative Offices (1717 4th St.) or via Zoom webinar (meeting ID: 850 7412 0978; passcode: 912335; call-in number: 669-900-6833).
The Board of Education will call the meeting to order at 4:30 p.m. in the boardroom at the District Offices and on Zoom, at which time the Board of Education will move to closed session regarding the items listed under Closed Session. The public meeting will reconvene at 5:30 p.m. in the boardroom and via Zoom webinar.
